Athlete Dies in Cycling Accident During Cancelled Ironman Event in Nice

A 42-year-old athlete died in a cycling accident on Sunday while riding the Ironman course in Nice, France, despite the event being officially cancelled due to a heatwave. Local authorities had called off the competition to protect participants amid high temperatures, but some athletes chose to complete the course independently without the official race support. According to reports, many amateur triathletes began the course in the morning, which included a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike ride, and 21.1 km run. The fatal accident occurred in the town of Buëch, where the cyclist, who was registered for the cancelled event, collided at high speed with a motorcycle on a section of the course that was not closed to traffic. Since the race was cancelled, roads remained open and unsecured, allowing vehicles to move freely along the route. The local authorities confirmed the deceased was participating in the prohibited event and that an investigation has been launched by the Nice gendarmerie under the jurisdiction of the public prosecutor in Grasse.